Book Reviews of Nautical, Boating and Marine Based Books | Soundings Online

“Beer in the Bilges: Sailing Adventures in the South Pacific” is perhaps best described as a freewheeling chronicle of characters met while cruising (iUniverse, 370 pages, $14.90 on Amazon), written by sailing buddies Alan Boreham, Peter Jinks and Bob Rossiter.

Marine photographer Onne van der Wal is considered one of the premier artists in his field. Born in Holland and raised largely in South Africa, van der Wal has made Newport, R.I., his home for years. His self-published photo book “Nautical Newport” is essentially a love letter to his adopted home.

Many of us feel a connection to the underdog, and solo sailor Mike Plant earned that connection during a career racing around the globe against some of the world’s top bluewater sailors. “Coyote Lost at Sea” (International Marine, $16.41, Amazon) written by Plant’s sister, Julia Plant, is the first comprehensive chronology of the charismatic latecomer who shook up a sport dominated by Europeans.

Viewed through the author’s eyes, her older brother transitions to a successful adventure sailor who circled the world alone three times before meeting his end in the Atlantic on his way to the start of the Vendee Globe race in 1992 at the age of 41. Plant’s Open 60, Coyote, was found with its keel bulb missing; his body was never recovered. Plant logged 100,000 nautical miles in an intense five-year span and left a legacy that people in the bluewater racing community still talk about.